China’s cumulative installed solar capacity has surpassed 1 TW, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA). By the end of May 2025, solar capacity had reached 1.08 TW (1,080 GW), up 56.9% year on year.

NEA data show total power generation capacity stood at 3.61 TW at the end of May, an 18.8% increase from a year earlier. Solar was the fastest-growing segment, driven by record installations in the first five months of 2025.

From January to May, new solar installations totaled 197.85 GW, up 388.03% from the same period last year. In May alone, China added 92.92 GW of new capacity, a 105.48% increase from April and the highest monthly figure on record.

Analysts attribute the surge to favorable government policies, including support for distributed solar and mechanisms allowing renewable energy to participate in electricity market trading. These measures triggered a rush to complete installations ahead of expected policy changes in the second half of the year.

China reached its first 1 GW of installed solar in 2010 under the Golden Sun Program, which launched the country’s distributed solar segment. After trade tensions with the United States and Europe in 2011–12, Beijing shifted toward domestic support, spurring utility-scale projects in the northwest and pushing cumulative capacity to 10 GW by mid-2013.

The top-runner program later boosted deployment by promoting technological innovation and efficiency. By June 2017, total installed capacity exceeded 100 GW – a tenfold increase in four years. Eight years later, China has reached 1 TW of installed solar –an unmatched global milestone.

However, analysts warn that demand could slow in the second half of 2025 as the policy-driven surge eases. Several market research firms have issued cautious forecasts, citing a likely drop in installation momentum.